A frenulum is a typically small fold of tissue that secures or restricts motion of a mobile organ. Several frenula exist in the human mouth, such as the lingual frenulum under the tongue, the frenulum labii superioris inside the upper lip, the frenulum labii inferioris inside the lower lip, and the buccal frena which connect the cheeks to the gum. A lingual frenulum is a fold of mucous membrane extending from the floor of the mouth to the midline of the underside of the tongue. The lingual frenulum is formed during normal embryonic development and undergoes apoptosis as the tongue develops, thereby retracting away from the tip of the tongue and increasing the tongue's mobility.
Disturbances in embryonic oral development may result in Ankyloglossia (also known as “tongue tie”), a congenital oral anomaly in which a lingual frenulum connects the midline of the tongue underside with the floor of the mouth. Ankyloglossia varies in degree of severity, from mild cases characterized by mucous membrane bands to complete Ankyloglossia, in which the tongue, attached to a lingual frenulum, is tethered to the floor of the mouth.
Ankyloglossia in infants is associated with difficulties in breastfeeding such as failure to thrive, maternal nipple damage, maternal breast pain, poor milk supply, breast engorgement, and refusing the breast. Infants with restrictive Ankyloglossia may not be able to extend their tongues over the lower gum line to form a proper seal and must use their jaws to keep the breast in the mouth. Ankyloglossia in infants can lead to a range of problems, such as difficulties breastfeeding, speech impediments, poor oral hygiene, and social problems during childhood and adolescence.
The most common treatment for Ankyloglossia is a surgical procedure termed Frenulotomy, also commonly known as Frenotomy. During this procedure, an incision is made several millimeters into the lingual frenulum. The procedure is typically brief, and is usually accompanied by minimal bleeding and discomfort. The procedure is typically made using surgical scissors, a scalpel, a laser source, and/or other surgical tools. Complications of frenotomy may include infection, hemorrhaging caused by severance of the lingual artery, and asphyxia caused by the released tongue falling back into the airway.
Following frenotomy in infants, it is recommended that the parent or other caregiver help the infant perform exercises to elevate the infant's tongue and/or to expend a patient's lip (depending on the type of frenotomy performed). These exercises are considered to be important for preventing the recurrence of tongue frenulum formation and for inducing tongue muscle function.
Current literature suggests post-frenotomy use of “active wound management,” i.e., the stretching of tethered oral tissues in a patient's mouth to prevent the reattachment of a frenulum by using two fingers to be placed beside the patient's frenulum and repeatedly stretching the frenulum. The active wound management exercises are typically performed by inserting a finger, a tongue blade, or a cotton swab into the infant's mouth and manually lifting the tongue. However, such exercises are often accompanied by discomfort for the infant and psychological distress for the administering caregiver. In particular, parents or other individuals performing the active wound management exercises may find the exercises difficult to handle effectively, especially in newborns when the mouth is small and delicate.
It would therefore be advantageous to provide a solution that would overcome the deficiencies of the prior art.